Patrick E. McKnight, Ph.D.

Contact Information

Associate Professor of Psychology | George Mason University

Email: pmcknigh@gmu.edu | Phone: (703) 993-8292 Office: MSN 3F5, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030

Education

Ph.D. in Psychology (Clinical), University of Arizona, 1997 - Dissertation: Calibration of Psychological Measures: An illustration of three quantitative calibration procedures. Chair: Lee Sechrest, Ph.D.

M.S. in Exercise and Sports Sciences, University of Arizona, 1992 - Thesis: The effects of cohesion and identifiability on social loafing. Chair: Jean M. Williams, Ph.D.

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, 1988

Academic Positions

Associate Professor, George Mason University, Department of Psychology: Human Factors and Applied Cognition, 2011–Present

Advisory Board Member, Sense about Science USA, STATS.org, 2015–Present

Consultant, McKnight Consulting, LLC, Research and Technical Consulting, 2005–Present

Assistant Professor, George Mason University, Department of Psychology, 2005–2011

Research Assistant Professor, University of Arizona, Department of Psychology, EGAD, 2002–2005

Health Sciences Specialist, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, CESATE, 1999–2001

Psychology Resident, University of Washington, College of Medicine, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1998–1999

Books

McKnight, P.E., McKnight, K.M., Sidani, S. & Figueredo, A.J. (2007). Missing Data: A Gentle Introduction. New York: Guilford Press. [3,200 citations]

Bootzin, R.R. & McKnight, P.E. (Eds) (2006). Strengthening Research Methodology: Psychological Measurement and Evaluation. Washington: American Psychological Association. [6 citations]

Selected Publications

2025

McKnight, P.E., Kashdan, T.B., MacKay, A., Kelso, K., & Gross, M. (2025). Purpose and happiness: A comparison. Journal of Positive Psychology.
Kashdan, T.B., McKnight, P.E., Kelso, K., Craig, L., Guenoun, B., & Naughton, C. (2025). Multiple dimensions of workplace curiosity: Evidence of generalizability in nine countries. Personality and Individual Differences.
Blanco-Donoso, Torio, L., Hurtado, M., Lecuona, O., Carmona-Cobo, I., Kashdan, T.B., McKnight, P.E., & Garrosa, E. (2025). Spanish adaptation of the Multidimensional Workplace Curiosity Scale. Acta Psychologica.

2024

Jackson, K.M., Thayer, S.C., Simpson, K.L., Shaw, T.H., McKnight, P.E., & Helton, W.S. (2024). Swimming with a head-mounted display: dual-task costs. Ergonomics, 1-10.
Kashdan, T.B., Kaufman, J.C., & McKnight, P.E. (2024). The costs of curiosity and creativity: Minimizing the downsides while maximizing the upsides. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 47, e105.

2023

Kashdan, T.B., Goodman, F.R., McKnight, P.E., Brown, B., & Rum, R. (2023). Purpose in life: A resolution on the definition, conceptual model, and optimal measurement. American Psychologist. [50 citations]
Dang, J.A., Shaw, T.H., McKnight, P.E., & Helton, W.S. (2023). A closer look at warning cues on the sustained attention to response task performance. Human Factors, 65, 1793-1803. [5 citations]
Harwood, A.E., Satterfield, K., Helton, W.S., McKnight, P.E., & Shaw, T.H. (2023). The Role of State and Trait Self-Control on the Sustained Attention to Response Task. Human Factors. [2 citations]

2022

Lockhart, P.B., Thornhill, M.H., Zhao, J., et al. & McKnight, P.E. (2022). Factors that affect dentists’ use of antibiotic prophylaxis. Journal of the American Dental Association. [10 citations]
Kashdan, T.B., McKnight, P.E., & Goodman, F.R. (2022). Evolving positive psychology: A blueprint for advancing the study of purpose in life, psychological strengths, and resilience. Journal of Positive Psychology, 17, 210-218. [45 citations]
Dang, J.A., Shaw, T.H., McKnight, P.E., & Helton, W.S. (2022). A closer look at warning cues on the sustained attention to response task performance. Human Factors. [5 citations]

2021

McKnight, P.E., Kidd, J.K., Gallington, D.A., Strauss, L.I., Lyu, H., Gadzichowski, K.M., & Pasnak, R. (2021). The Efficacy of Teaching Advanced Forms of Patterning to Kindergartners. Creative Education, 12, 557. [5 citations]

2020

Kashdan, T.B., Disabato, D.J., Goodman, F.R., & McKnight, P.E. (2020). The Five-Dimensional Curiosity Scale Revised (5DCR): Briefer subscales while separating overt and covert social curiosity. Personality and Individual Differences, 157, 109836. [280 citations]
Kashdan, T.B., Goodman, F.R., Disabato, D.J., McKnight, P.E., Kelso, K., & Naughton, C. (2020). Curiosity has comprehensive benefits in the workplace. Personality and Individual Differences, 155, 109717. [195 citations]
Kashdan, T.B., Disabato, D.J., Goodman, F.R., Doorley, J.D., & McKnight, P.E. (2020). Understanding psychological flexibility: A multimethod exploration of pursuing valued goals despite the presence of distress. Psychological Assessment, 32, 829. [120 citations]
Kashdan, T.B., Disabato, D.J., McKnight, P.E., Kelso, K.C., Lauber, M., & Goodman, F.R. (2020). Sexual assault: Exploring real-time consequences the next day and in subsequent days. International Journal of Wellbeing, 10. [15 citations]
Gonçalves, S.F., Chaplin, T.M., López Jr, R., et al. & McKnight, P.E. (2020). High-Frequency Heart Rate Variability and Emotion-Driven Impulse Control Difficulties During Adolescence. Journal of Early Adolescence. [25 citations]
Lockhart, P.B., Thornhill, M.H., Zhao, J., et al. & McKnight, P.E. (2020). Prophylactic antibiotic prescribing in dental practice. Journal of the American Dental Association, 151, 770-781. [35 citations]

2019

Doorley, J.D., Kashdan, T.B., Alexander, L.A., Blalock, D.V., & McKnight, P.E. (2019). Distress tolerance in romantic relationships: A daily diary exploration with methodological considerations. Motivation and Emotion, 43, 505-516. [25 citations]
Fontana, M., Eckert, G.J., Keels, M.A., et al. & McKnight, P. (2019). Predicting Caries in Medical Settings: Risk Factors in Diverse Infant Groups. Journal of Dental Research, 98, 68-76. [45 citations]
Curby, T., McKnight, P., Alexander, L., & Erchov, S. (2019). Sources of variance in end-of-course student evaluations. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. [15 citations]

2018

Kashdan, T.B., Stiksma, M.C., Disabato, D.D., McKnight, P.E., Bekier, J., Kaji, J., & Lazarus, R. (2018). The five-dimensional curiosity scale: Capturing the bandwidth of curiosity and identifying four unique subgroups of curious people. Journal of Research in Personality, 73, 130-149. [520 citations]
Yarbro, J.L., & McKnight, P.E. (2018). An introduction to cost-effectiveness acceptability curves. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 6, 179. [8 citations]
Bock, A.M., Cartwright, K.B., McKnight, P.E., et al. & Pasnak, R. (2018). Patterning, reading, and executive functions. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1802. [45 citations]

2017

Alexander, L.A., McKnight, P.E., Disabato, D.J., & Kashdan, T.B. (2017). When and How to use Multiple Informants to Improve Clinical Assessments. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment. [35 citations]
Kashdan, T.B., Blalock, D.V., Young, K.C., Machell, K.A., Monfort, S.S., McKnight, P.E., & Ferssizidis, P. (2017). Personality Strengths in Romantic relationships. Psychological Assessment. [65 citations]
Kashdan, T.B., Goodman, F.R., Stiksma, M., Milius, C.R., & McKnight, P.E. (2017). Sexuality Leads to Boosts in Mood and Meaning in Life. Emotion. [45 citations]
Monfort, S.S., Graybeal, J.J., Harwood, A.E., McKnight, P.E., & Shaw, T.H. (2017). A single-item assessment for remaining mental resources: development and validation of the Gas Tank Questionnaire. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science. [25 citations]
Bono, G., Froh, J.J., Disabato, D., Blalock, D., McKnight, P., & Bausert, S. (2017). Gratitude’s role in adolescent antisocial and prosocial behavior: A 4-year longitudinal investigation. Journal of Positive Psychology. [55 citations]

2016

de Visser, E.J., Monfort, S.S., McKendrick, R., Smith, M.A.B., McKnight, P.E., Krueger, F., & Parasuraman, R. (2016). Almost Human: Anthropomorphism Increases Trust Resilience in Cognitive Agents. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. [280 citations]

See Google Scholar for complete publication list (81 articles)

Research Funding

Total Funding: $6,890,206

Crowdsourcing forecast models in intelligence (PI: Georghe Tecuci)
IARPA | Co-Investigator | 2016–2021

Distinguishing extraordinarily happy from psychologically flexible people (PI: Todd Kashdan)
Koch Foundation | Co-Investigator — $248,000 | 2016–2021

Evaluation and Review of ONR Immersive Training Environments
Office of Naval Research (ONR) | Principal Investigator — $899,577 | 2014–2016

Diagnosis and prediction of mild traumatic brain injury (PI: Judith Babcock-Parziale)
VA Health Services Research and Development | Co-Investigator | 2009–2012

Advancing Outcomes Measurement and Micro-costing in Blind Rehabilitation
VA Health Services Research and Development | Co-Investigator — $550,080 | 2006–2010

Trait and State Frontal Brain Asymmetry in Depression
NIH-NIMH | Co-Investigator — $1,869,813 | 2004–2009

Multidimensional Intervention in Osteoarthritis
NIAMS | Co-Investigator — $2,630,000 | 2003–2007

Comprehensive Plan to Insure Capacity for Screening and Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer in Arizona
Arizona Department of Health Services | Co-Investigator — $275,000 | 2004–2006

Positive Mental Health and Outcomes in Osteoarthritis
Arthritis Foundation | Co-Investigator — $313,500 | 2002–2006

Tucson Energy Baseline Study
Department of Energy / TMEC | Principal Investigator — $19,000 | 2001–2002

Calibration of Measures for Assessing Low-Vision Rehabilitation Patients
VA Rehabilitation Research and Development | Co-Investigator — $85,236 | 2001–2003

Teaching

Graduate Courses

PSYC 611: Introductory Statistics and Methods I
PSYC 612: Introductory Statistics and Methods II
PSYC 642: General Linear Modeling I
PSYC 643: General Linear Modeling II
PSYC 754: Multiple Regression
PSYC 757: Bayesian Data Analysis
PSYC 734: Measurement & Study of Peak Performance

Undergraduate Courses

PSYC 301: Introductory Statistics
PSYC 325: Psychopathology
PSYC 405: Mystery, Madness, and Murder

Doctoral Students

Current Students

Amrote Getu
Kristin Carpenter
Amie MacKay
Dan Singer

Completed (18)

Dean Cisler, George Mason University, 2024
Kara Massick, George Mason University, 2024
Amanda Harwood, George Mason University, 2020
Michael Waltrip, George Mason University, 2020
Lisa Alexander, George Mason University, 2019
Max Shear, George Mason University, 2018
Simone Erchov, George Mason University, 2017
Jake Quartuccio, George Mason University, 2017
Sam Monfort, George Mason University, 2017
John Graybeal, George Mason University, 2016
Dan Blalock, George Mason University, 2016
Jessica Yarbro, George Mason University, 2016
Julius Najab, George Mason University, 2013
Mei Kuang Chen, University of Arizona, 2008
Michael Menke, University of Arizona, 2005
Kim Bissel, University of Arizona, 2001
Richard Lane, University of Arizona, 2000
Opher Caspi, University of Arizona, 2000

Professional Affiliations

American Evaluation Association, 1991–Present — Chair, Quantitative Methods TIG (2001-present)
American Statistical Association, 1997–Present
Association for Psychological Science, 1992–Present
Psychometric Society, 1997–Present
Society for the Science of Clinical Psychology, 1992–Present
American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2001–Present
American Psychological Association - Division 5, 2009–Present
Society for Judgment and Decision Making, 2010–Present

Technical Skills

Statistical Software: R, SAS, SPSS, Python, Stan, JAGS, Julia

SEM/IRT: lavaan, Mplus, EQS, LISREL, Onyx, Mx, mirt, ltm, Winsteps, Multilog, Bilog

Programming: R, Python, C/C++, Fortran, Julia, SQL, LaTeX, Quarto, Shiny

Scholarly Impact

Metric	Value
Total Citations	17,454
h-index	62
i10-index	108
Publications	90+

Source: Google Scholar, 2026-01-29

Research Contributions by Area

Publication & Citation Trends

Most Cited Works

Beyond Academia

Mountaineering: Everest (2018), Aconcagua (2017), Denali (2011)

Marathon Swimming: English Channel, Catalina Channel, 20 Bridges Manhattan

Triple Crown of Marathon Swimming - Fastest Known Time (34 days)
Ranked Top 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Swimmers
10th Member of Peak & Pond Club (2018)

Triathlon: Canadian Ironman (10:03)

Erdos Number: 6